Absorbent beverage collar

ABSTRACT

A universal absorbent collar for use on vessels holding liquid. One embodiment of the collar includes a length of material, one end of which forms a loop structure through which the other end is inserted after the length of material is wrapped around the vessel. The user can tighten the collar by pulling on a single end of the strip of material. In addition, the strip of material is meant to double as a marketing tool and can feature any manner of information. A second embodiment of the device consists of a corded structure that is wrapped around a vessel and tied in place or fastened in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the technical field of accessories for drinkware and other vessels. More particularly, the present invention is an absorbent collar capable of doubling as a marketing tool.

Background Art

When pouring out of a bottle, carafe or other vessel, frequently droplets of fluid, condensate or beverage accumulate at the neck or narrowest part of the vessel or the mouth of the container. Following Murphy's Law, these droplets typically run down the side of the bottle and become deposited on other surfaces and people's hands. This is particularly an issue with respect to beverages such as wine or fruit juice that tend to stain both cloth and skin. As a result, the beverage industry has produced a number of devices that are designed to catch wine or other liquids as they drip down the side of a container such as a bottle, carafe or other fluid containing vessel.

For example, servers have for years tied a napkin or towel around the neck or body of the bottle to catch excess beverage drippage. However, napkins are not specifically designed with this purpose in mind and usually do not stay in place on the bottle even if left largely undisturbed. Moreover, as additional people manipulate the bottle to pour more wine, there is a large potential for the napkin to become dislodged, untied or otherwise loosened in which case it will not stay in place.

As a result, the beverage industry has developed a number of devices designed to adhere to the outside of a wine bottle, wine glass, carafe or other fluid containing vessel such that it can "catch" liquid as it flows down the side of the bottle. For example, some inventors have fashioned a solid, ring-shaped object to the neck of the bottle or the stem of the glass. This device is supposed to act to stop liquid from flowing down the side of the bottle, but because the device is a nonporous object, it does not stop liquid from flowing over it and down the rest of the vessel. Some of these devices are meant to be dual use devices. For example, one such device doubles as a business card holder once it is removed from the bottle. However, even if these devices were made of an absorbent material, these devices do not have enough surface area to catch or absorb very much liquid. To the extent they also double as marketing displays, again, they do not have enough surface area to adequately display very much information.

U.S. Pat. Application Publication Number 2014/0014610 describes a band of material, preferably made of elastic terry-cloth, that is stretched to fit over the mouth of a bottle and is made of material that is absorbent enough to catch liquid running down the side of a bottle. However, this device does not cover the same amount of surface area that the traditional napkin does and as a result does a poorer job of catching dripping liquid. Moreover, over time, elastic materials stretch and lose their elasticity causing devices such as this one to form a poor fit over the mouth of the bottle. In addition, devices such as this one are not versatile in that they are shaped and sized to fit one device, such as a wine bottle. They are not designed to fit a variety of sizes of containers and glasses. Other inventors have tried similar means to solve the same problem including using a sponge like material.

Others have invented a yoke or other device that is attached to the outside of a wine glass below the bowl where the bowl and the stem of the glass meet. These devices are cup-shaped in that they have an upward facing curved or concave surface that is meant to catch any liquid that escapes the bowl of the glass. Some versions even have small banners clipped to the outside of the yoke that feature advertisements or other promotional markings. These structures are cumbersome, customized to be used with wine glasses only and must be made of elastic material such as rubber in order to be fit onto the stem of a wine glass. Unsuitable for use on a vessel such as a wine bottle, the device is large and cumbersome enough to interfere with pouring liquid from a bottle. In addition, elastic materials lose their elasticity over time and as a result, the fit between the glass and the device will become worse over time. If the fit between the yoke and the glass is not tight enough, then the yoke will not work to catch dripping beverage. Last but not least, these devices are cumbersome and interfere with the user's ability to see and manipulate the glass.

Other inventors have simply recreated the folded napkin and use conventional fasteners to hold a piece of cloth in place on the outside of the bottle. For example, U.S. Design Pat. Number 751900S1 discloses a rectangular piece of cloth with pointed ends that is fastened to a wine bottle.

The purpose of the presently disclosed device is to combine a simple absorbent device capable of (1) catching liquid running down the side of the container, (2) being used on a variety of containers such as wine bottles, carafes, and glasses and (3) functioning as a decorative device that can feature information such as an advertisement. A skilled artisan can appreciate that the device can be utilized in both home and or commercial settings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In its most basic form, the device is a length of absorbent material that forms a loop at one end and is configured to fit around a container. The loop can be formed by attaching and securing an end of the length of material to another portion of the same length of material through any number of conventional means including pressure fusing of the loophole, stitching or through the use of an adhesive. The loop is formed at one end of the length of material. The device is wrapped around the neck of a bottle, the stem of a glass or another fluid containing vessel and the end that does not feature a loop is inserted through the loop thereby securing the device loosely to the container such that the fit around the container can be adjusted. This configuration allows the device to be easily put in place and does not depend on elastic materials that will wear out over time to attach the device. In addition, the user can adjust the fit of the device around the vessel simply by pulling on the end of the device that does not feature a loop. In addition, the device can be made of nearly any absorbent and pliable material. The size of the device can be varied to suit the user, the container and to allow for enough space to feature an informational message or other marketing information. Moreover, the device is visually appealing even when not decorated.

In the above-described embodiments of the wrapper or collar, the wrapper or collar is made of an elongated, substantially flat, strip of material. In this context, substantially flat means that the width of the material is at least twice the thickness of the same strip of material. A second embodiment of this device incudes a cord of absorbent material that is wrapped or tied around a vessel. In this case, the cord is not substantially flat but rather is rounded, i.e. the cross section of the cord is either circular or oval-shaped. Other shapes are possible including cords with square or rectangular cross-sections, but the inventor has concluded that the rounded cord is more aesthetically pleasing. The inventor anticipates that the corded version of the device can be tied as a knot or slip knot or the two ends can be cinched together with a fastener or separate strip of material, either connected to the cord or not, into which the first and second ends of the collar can be inserted. In one embodiment, the loop is formed by tying the second end of the elongated strip of material or cord around the first end of the same strip of material. The width, length, and choice of material can be selectively customized to the individual needs of a particular consumer.

Furthermore, the inventor anticipates that the collar or wrapper will be used as a vehicle for advertising and can feature printed material or other advertising on a surface of the wrapper or collar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the face or front of the wrapper or collar;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side view of thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the collar in use on a bottle;

FIG. 5 is a right side perspective view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a left side perspective view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the wrapper or collar used on a wine glass;

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the collar using a conventional fastener;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the wrapper or collar in which the ends have been tied together; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the device being placed over the top of a standard bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of the absorbent collar. Specifically, the device is an elongated strip of material 10 with a first end 11 a second end 12, a loop 13 and a "conjunction spot" or connection point 14 where the second end 12 is attached to the rest of the strip of absorbent material 10 to create the loop 13. In preferred embodiments, the elongated strip of material 10 is made of an absorbent and pliable material. As discussed above, the loop 13 can be formed more than one way. In this embodiment, the loop was formed by folding the second end 12 back on itself and attaching it to the rest of the elongated strip of material 10. The attachment can be accomplished by pressure or heat fusion, through stitching or any number of adhesives.

FIGS. 4-7 show this version of the device attached to a bottle from various perspectives. As can be seen from these figures, the strip of material 10 is wrapped around a portion of the bottle, in this case the bottom of the neck of the bottle where the sides of the bottle start to flare outwards to form the portion of the bottle below the neck. After wrapping the strip of material 10 around the bottle, the first end 11 of the strip of material 10 is inserted through the loop 13 formed at the second end 12. The user is free to pull the first end 11 of the length of material 10 through the loop 13 as far as desired to tighten the strip of material 10 around the bottle.

FIG. 8 shows the same embodiment of the absorbent collar on a wine glass. The length of material 10 is applied to the wine glass in much the same way that it is applied to a bottle. In this case, the strip of material 10 is wrapped around the exterior of the stem of the glass proximate to the point where the stem and the foot of the glass meet each other. The first end 11 of the length of material 10 is inserted through the loop 13 featured at the second end of 12 of the length of material 10. The user then pulls on the first end 11 to adjust the tightness of the fit around the stem of the glass.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the inventive absorbent collar. This embodiment also includes a length of absorbent material, but in this version, the length of material is not a flattened structure, but rather a cord 15 having a circular or oval shaped cross section. The cord embodiment is used very similarly to the flattened embodiment discussed above. Specifically, the cord 15 is an elongated tubular structure having a circular or oval-shaped cross section. The cord 15 is wrapped around a portion of a beverage container in a similar manner to that of the above-described embodiments. The two ends 16 of the cord 15 can be cinched together with a conventional fastener 17 or tied together in a knot.

FIG. 11 shows a flow diagram or chart demonstrating the use of an embodiment of the device using the substantially flat collar 10. First, an elongated strip of preferably absorbent material 10 having a loop 13 formed at one end is provided. The strip of material 10 is placed or wrapped around a portion of the vessel ^(_) in this case a standard bottle. The first end 11 of the strip of material 10 is inserted through the loop formed at the second end 12 of the strip 10. The user than pulls on the first end 11 of the strip of material 10 to tighten the collar around the vessel to which it is attached.

The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, the ability to catch dripping liquid from a vessel while at the same time providing an attractive conversation piece with the vessel that doubles as a marketing tool. In broad embodiment, the present invention is a universal absorbent beverage collar for use with a variety of containers.

Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A collar for use with a vessel comprising an elongated strip of material having a first end, a second end and a loop; wherein the first end is configured to be inserted through the loop.
 2. The collar of claim 1 wherein the elongated strip of material is made of an absorbent, pliable material.
 3. The collar of claim 2 wherein the loop comprises a portion of the second end of the elongated strip of material folded back and pressure fused to the elongated strip of material, thereby forming a connection point.
 4. The collar of claim 2 wherein the loop comprises a portion of the second end of the elongated strip of material folded back and attached to the elongated strip of material by an adhesive, thereby forming a connection point.
 5. The Collar of claim 2 wherein the elongated strip of material is substantially flat.
 6. The Collar of claim 2 wherein the wherein the elongated strip of material has a circular cross-section.
 7. The Collar of claim 6 wherein the loop is formed of a separate strip of material attached end to end through which the first end and second end are inserted.
 8. The Collar of claim 6 wherein the loop is formed by tying the second end of the elongated strip of material around the first end of the elongated strip of material.
 9. The Collar of claim 2 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 10. The Collar of claim 3 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 11. The Collar of claim 4 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 12. The Collar of claim 5 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 13. The Collar of claim 6 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 14. The Collar of claim 7 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material.
 15. The Collar of claim 8 further comprising printed material featured on a surface of the elongated strip of material. 